Half Moon Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Mid Sussex
Half Moon Inn holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the pub and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 18 March 2026, 3 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: Half Moon Inn, Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, RH17 6PA
How it compares in Mid Sussex
A 1 is rare: only 16 of 1,249 rated places in Mid Sussex score this low, about one in 78. By contrast 83% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,031 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 127 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 60 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 16 | 1% | ← Half Moon Inn | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 115 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Half Moon Inn the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Half Moon Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| JO.CO Too Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 69 yards away | 4 - Good | 17 September 2025 |
| The Balcombe Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2024 |
| Balcombe C E Primary School School/college/university | 238 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Chartwells At Balcombe Primary School School/college/university | 238 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Cool 4 School Clubs Ltd Caring Premises | 238 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Avon House Rest Home Caring Premises | 344 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2025 |
| Russettings Care Home Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 28 October 2025 |
| Highley Manor Hotel Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2025 |
Questions about Half Moon Inn
What is Half Moon Inn's food hygiene rating?
Half Moon Inn has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Mid Sussex Council on 18 March 2026.
Is Half Moon Inn safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The pub is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Half Moon Inn last inspected?
Half Moon Inn was last inspected on 18 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Mid Sussex Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Half Moon Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Half Moon Inn compare to other places in Mid Sussex?
83% of the 1,249 rated food businesses in Mid Sussex hold the top rating of 5, while Half Moon Inn holds a 1. 16 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Mid Sussex Council inspects Half Moon Inn and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Half Moon Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Mid Sussex, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Mid Sussex
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Half Moon Inn is one of 337 rated food businesses in Haywards Heath. See every hygiene rating in Haywards Heath →
Mid Sussex inspects and rates 1,364 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Mid Sussex →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →